Bards Galore
by JimberlyShipper
Summary: This is my first Xena fic ever! I hope you like it!


Disclaimer: The characters from Xena and Hercules are not mine. I just borrowed them. However, Christina is mine, though her tie to Jason is not. You can`t use Christina without my permish. This is not my first attempt at a Xena fanfic, but it is the first one I`ve ever sent to a fanfiction page. I don`t know what people will think of it, but I do ask that if you send feedback, let it be constructive criticism if you must send criticism at all. Well, on with the fic.  
  
Bards Galore  
  
By Jacey  
  
Gabrielle and her friend Xena were walking into Athens, Greece. Xena was going to meet Hercules there. They were going to do a charity benefit. Gabrielle was welcome to help if she wanted, and Iolaus, too, but both of them would prefer to spend some time alone, as they were engaged to be married. Gabrielle looked around the joyous town, and spotted Iolaus by the water fountain. ''Iolaus!'' She shrieked, and ran across the square into his arms.  
  
He smiled, and he picked her up and swung her around. Then he lowered her gently to the ground. ''My darling Gabrielle. You get more gorgeous every time I see you.'' He kissed her gently, his hands on her long, silky blond hair.  
  
Gabrielle frowned. ''Thank you, Iolaus. And you get more handsome every time I see you. But it isn`t often. Oh, darling, when can we be married?''  
  
As the two lovers had their reunion, Xena and Hercules watched them with bemused smiles. ''They`re so cute together, aren`t they, Hercules?'' Xena asked, as she pulled Argo`s rains taut.  
  
Hercules grinned back. ''Yes, they are. I`m glad that Iolaus is finally happy.''  
  
A minstrel began playing nearby, and Iolaus and Gabrielle began dancing a fast-paced jig. Xena looked at Hercules. ''Would you care to dance?'' She asked, a twinkle in her blue eyes.  
  
Hercules grinned back. ''Sure, m'lady.'' He and Xena began dancing more of a fast waltz than a jig.  
  
Meanwhile, a young strawberry-blond haired girl with deep blue-green eyes was entering Athens, looking for the warrior princess`s friend. She was a warrior, but she had learned that over time. She had always been a bard, and having graduated from the Athens Academy of Preforming Bards, she was now a certified bard. She carried with her a staff and a cloth bag containing her scrolls. She had heard of Gabrielle and wanted to meet her for inspiration. And she`d also heard that Xena and her friend were arriving here today. She walked into the square. Lots of people were dancing. She just had to see if she could find the right girl. She peered through the crowd, and finding nothing, started walking through it, trying to get to the other side. She ended up knocking into a gorgeous blond- haired couple. She immediately apologized. The young couple stopped dancing and turned to face her. The girl squealed, ''Gabrielle, the bard from Potedia!''  
  
Gabrielle looked at the young girl, whose face was flushed, and she looked very glad to see Gabrielle. She smiled to herself. ''Yes, I am Gabrielle. You are?''  
  
The young warrior smiled at her hero and noticed she`d slid her hand into the young man`s hand. ''I`m Christina from Athens. I`m a bard, and I heard of you from my old school, the Athens Academy of Preforming Bards. Everybody was always talking of the famous Gabrielle and her wonderful stories. I had to meet you. I wanted to travel like you do and write stories from my own experiences. I wanted to meet you for inspiration.'' Out of breath, she stopped.  
  
Gabrielle smiled at her. ''Really? I`m so glad to meet you. This is my betrothed Iolaus.''  
  
Christina`s eyes nearly popped out of her head. ''You`re Hercules`s best friend! You grew up with him, and you met Gabrielle when you guys and Xena and Hercules saved Promethus.''  
  
Iolaus smiled. ''Yes. It`s nice to meet you, Christina. Let me get Xena and Hercules.'' He kissed Gabrielle and walked over to their friends.  
  
Gabrielle smiled. ''How`d you know it was me?'' She asked, as she and Christina moved away from the dancers.  
  
Christina smiled back. ''Homer teaches there now, and he has a picture that he drew of you. It`s actually very good. I think he somewhat fancies you, Gabrielle. He always got this look in his eyes when he talked of you.'' She gave her companion a look.  
  
Gabrielle giggled. ''I remember Homer. But I love Iolaus, and I couldn`t imagine living my life with anybody else.'' She smiled and looked over to him. He was heading their way, only very slowly. He was talking to the two heroes.  
  
Christina said, ''Um, isn`t this the second time you`ll be getting married?'' She hated to be so rude, and she was slapping herself inside.  
  
Gabrielle nodded. ''Yeah, but I look at it as fate. Perdicus was just supposed to.....to pass on so I could fall in love with Iolaus.'' She wiped a tear from her eye.  
  
Christina touched her shoulder. ''I didn`t mean to make you cry. I`m sorry.''  
  
She was going to say something more when the others came over and Gabrielle intoduced them to her young friend. Christina noticed that Xena gave her a wary look. She knew not to be threatened by it, cause Xena was wary of everyone new they met. It`s cause she was smart and experienced.  
  
Gabrielle was giving her a look, telling her to quit it. ''Come, Christina. There`s a tavern nearby. We can all eat and then watch the benefit.'' She put her arm around the young girl`s shoulders and led her to the tavern.  
  
Meanwhile, Ares, God of War, was pacing in his throne room. ''How can I get Xena to join me and my armies?'' He wondered aloud.  
  
A voice sounded, and Ares groaned. It was his nephew Strife. ''Well, Unc, you can try asking her first.'' His annoying nephew suggested.  
  
Ares laughed at his nephew`s stupidness. ''What are you talking about? You can`t just ask Xena for anything. You`ve got to bribe her.'' An idea suddenly came to him. He had been watching Xena and her friends eat in the tavern. ''I can get to her by kidnapping their new friend, Christina. Along with Hercules, whom I know she`s in love with. Boy, this is gonna be good!''  
  
Strife was confused. ''Unc, why do you want Xena to join you anyway?'' He was answered by a fire ball knocking him into the wall. ''Sorry, Unc. I didn`t mean to ask a stupid question.''  
  
The two gods were joined by Ares`s sister, Discord. ''Why are you plotting to get Xena to join you? Who cares? She`s a stupid mortal.'' She curled her black lipstick covered lips and tossed her long black hair over her shoulder. She was dressed in black leather. She could have been very beautiful if she had been dressed in regular clothes and wore normal lipstick.  
  
Ares turned to face his sister. ''Discord, who cares about your opinion? I for one, do not. If you`d like to help me, fine. If not, I really don`t care. But, getting Little Brother is involved.'' He had curly shoulder-length black hair and deep brown eyes that looked like chocolate. His studly body made him look like he should be the God of Love instead of the God of War.  
  
Discord brightened. ''You mean, we get to hurt Hercules?'' She asked gleefully.  
  
Ares grinned. ''If all goes according to plan, he won`t have a scratch on him. Except when we kidnap him. But if it all doesn`t, he`ll get more cut up than a jack-o-latern.''  
  
Christina and her new friends exited the tavern and Hercules and Xena went to participate in the festivites. Gabrielle, Iolaus, and Christina all settled on a grassy knoll to watch. They were chatting while they waited when they were joined by a young man with jet black hair and ice blue eyes. He was tall and wore simple, comfortable clothes. They weren`t fancy, but they weren`t poor looking either. He smiled, and Christina was quite taken. ''Hello, I`m Sallius. Pleased to meet your aquaintance. My friends call me Sal.''  
  
Gabrielle smiled as she noticed how taken her friend was with Sallius. ''Sal, I`m Gabrielle, this my betrothed Iolaus, and this is our friend Christina.''  
  
Christina motioned for Sal to join her on the blanket pulled from Argo`s saddle bag.  
  
Sal smiled at Christina and sat down. He thought, ''Unc`s gonna be so proud of me!" Strife nearly giggled as the mortals began asking him questions. Christina would be his within a matter of hours. Discord was taking care of Hercules because Uncle Ares didn`t trust him. Well, Strife would show him. His head snapped up as Gabrielle asked him where he was from. ''Corinth.'' He quickly responded.  
  
Iolaus stared at him hard. ''You seem familiar. My friend Jason`s the King of Corinth. Do you know him personally? Maybe I met you there.'' His blue eyes were filled with puzzlement.  
  
Strife immediately got nervous. He remembered that little twerp of a mortal. But if he said yes, Iolaus would remember him as himself. No, he must say no. ''No, I have only seen him pass by. I have barely spoken to him. Maybe I just have that kind of a face.'' He seemed nervous, and he hoped Iolaus would believe him.  
  
Iolaus nodded, but he didn`t seem convinced. Gabrielle put her arm around his shoulders and told him not to worry about it. Christina asked, ''Sal, do you know my cousin Mista? She is from Corinth, and she has spoken of a Sallius before. Or maybe it was a Salmonious.''  
  
Strife quickly answered, ''No, I do not. But let`s talk of you. How old are you my dear?'' His blue eyes brightened. He`d realized his eyes hadn`t seemed real-looking.  
  
Christina replied, ''I`m seventeen years old. I just graduated from the Athens Academy of Preforming Bards.'' She bit her lip, hoping he didn`t think that was too young.  
  
Sal grinned at her. ''That`s wonderful, I`m eighteen. My birthday was yesterday.'' He turned to look at the little man standing in the middle of the crowd. ''The festivities are beginning.'' He said, smiling. They were beginning because he`d shot a zapper, making the little man say that it was time to begin.  
  
Christina excused herself and went to talk to Hercules. ''Hercules, can I see you for a second?'' She asked politely.  
  
Hercules had been talking to Xena, and he went to see what Christina wanted. Xena saw the look on the younger woman`s face, and knew she was suspicious of something, so she joined Hercules. The blond half-god approached Christina. ''You wanted to see me, Christina?'' He asked.  
  
She nodded and pointed to Sallius, who was glancing furtively around and talking to himself. She said, ''Hercules, that`s Sallius. He seems all right, but there`s something I don`t like about him. When Iolaus asked him if he knew Jason of Corinth, he seemed to panic. And then, when he told Iolaus his answer, he seemed real nervous. Like he thought Iolaus wouldn`t believe him. And he`s talking to himself. Plus, the festival wasn`t supposed to start for another twenty minutes, and when the man announced it, he turned to his friend and asked him what he had just said. I have had experience with this kind of goings on, and I think Sallius is a God.'' She finished.  
  
Hercules was glaring at Sallius. ''He looks real familar. I`ve met him before, and I can`t remember where!''  
  
While the three stood talking, Ares was getting angrier and angrier. ''Stupid Strife. Can`t even trick a few mortals. Of course, they aren`t normal mortals, but still.'' He appeared on the blanket, but only to Strife. ''Strife, the girl is suspicious of you. You`ll just have to attack her.''  
  
Strife whined, ''But Uncle Ares, I actually like her! I want to keep trying.'' He tried to smile at his uncle.  
  
Ares laughed. ''Strife, she`s suspicious of you! You do know what that means, don`t you? She won`t like you back because she finds holes in your story. You`re just going to have to attack her. The reason why I say attack is because she wears the clothes of a warrior. I know she`s able to defend herself. And knowing how incapable you are of fighting, you`ll get whooped. Oh, what am I saying? I`ll do it myself!''  
  
The God of War stood up and walked over to Christina and Hercules. Staying invisible, he grabbed them both and transported them all to a cage, in which he trapped them in. Christina looked around in wonder. ''Hercules, where are we?''  
  
Hercules gritted his teeth. ''Ares`s throne room.'' He said, as he pulled Christina closer to him. ''Ares is very dangerous to mortals. Stay close.''  
  
Christina gasped. ''Really? I`ve heard about the stuff he`s done. And isn`t he your brother?''  
  
Hercules nodded. ''Yep. And we don`t get along.''  
  
Christina`s hopes fell. ''Great.'' She muttered under her breath.  
  
Meanwhile, Gabrielle and Iolaus were oblivious to their current problem. They were making out behind a tree, a few yards from the festival grounds. Iolaus was kissing Gabrielle urgently, trying to loosen her green top. Gabrielle usually would have protested, but today, she let him work at it. She wasn`t ready yet, but she knew he wouldn`t get it off. Iolaus stopped kissing her to whisper, ''Gabrielle! You`re teasing me, aren`t you?''  
  
Gabrielle grinned. ''Iolaus, you`re so cute when you`re aggravated!'' She was about to begin the kissing again when Xena approached them. ''Xena, what`s wrong? You look kind of flushed. When something`s wrong, you get flushed.'' Gabrielle asked her best friend.  
  
Xena put her hand out for Gabrielle to use to get up. ''Hercules and Christina have been captured by Ares.'' Her mouth set in a grim line.  
  
Iolaus took the extended arm and pulled himself up. ''How do you know it was Ares?'' He wiped his blond hair back from his face as Gabrielle tied the strings Iolaus had managed to untie.  
  
Xena replied, ''I didn`t have to see him to know it was Ares.''  
  
Gabrielle turned to Iolaus. ''Xena has this sixth sense about Ares. She can always tell when he`s joined her, even if he hasn`t said anything or shown himself.''  
  
Iolaus said, ''Well, let`s go save Hercules.'' He slid his arm around Gabrielle`s waist.  
  
Meanwhile, Ares was arriving in his throne room. Hercules and Christina both heard the noise and whirled around. Ares grinned. ''Don`t worry. I`m not going to hurt you. That`s not part of the plan.''  
  
Hercules went to the front of the bars and shook them. ''Ares, you can`t keep trying to control Xena! She doesn`t want you. She`ll never want you!''  
  
Ares yelled back, ''I KNOW. SHE WANTS YOU!'' He made the whole room shake. ''She`s always wanted you, Hercules. That`s why you`re here. She`s in love with you, and I don`t care. I just want her to head my armies. Love will never come and I know that.''  
  
Hercules was shocked. ''She does?'' He tried to digest this information.  
  
Ares nodded. ''Uh, yeah. Didn`t you know that? She`s always looking at you with the look that women get when they`re in love.''  
  
Christina`s mind flew. ''So why am I here?'' She asked, her blue-green eyes sparkling like the Pacfic Ocean.  
  
Ares smiled. ''Oh, you`re here because you`re an innocent. Xena always defends the innocent. Plus, you`re Gabrielle`s little lap dog, and Xena always saves Gabrielle`s friends.''  
  
Christina glared back at Ares, her waist length hair flying as she walked closer to the bars. ''I`m not Gabrielle`s lap dog, Ares. I can assure you, I can fight. I`ve been taught by Jason of Corinth. He`s my father.''  
  
Hercules and Ares both gasped. Hercules looked at the young girl. ''I thought all of Jason`s children died.'' He said.  
  
Christina broke her glare and turned to look at Hercules. ''Jason and my mother, Lilith, were engaged to be married seventeen years ago. They split up before I was born. He didn`t tell you because he didn`t know about me until two months ago.''  
  
Ares was getting bored. ''I really don`t care. And besides, I`ve fought Jason before. It was no challenge.''  
  
Hercules glared at his brother. ''Yes, and we know how you battled him. Killed his father and then stabbed Jason without fair warning. When the battle was between you and me.''  
  
Ares laughed. ''I know, I was good, wasn`t I?''  
  
Hercules laughed sardistically. ''Yeah, uh-huh. Trying to kill me and my friends was real good.'' He quipped.  
  
Ares snapped, ''Don`t use that scarcastic tone with me, little brother.''  
  
Christina was trying to make herself heard over their bickering. ''Guys!'' She finally screamed. She ignored Hercules`s look and stared at Ares. ''You tried to kill my father?'' She asked, hurt.  
  
Ares smiled. ''Yes, many times. Your dad`s the King of Corinth. Corinth is right between Sparta and Thebes. If I could have been able to start a war between Sparta and Thebes, it would have been wonderful! So much blood..............'' Ares`s eyes closed, imagining the possiblities.  
  
Hercules rolled his eyes. He turned to Christina. ''Don`t listen to him. He`s just spouting. Jason always was a good fighter and he was fine.''  
  
Christina nodded and retreated to the floor, curling up and ignoring them as Ares and Hercules continued to argue. ''Gabrielle and Xena, where are you?'' She thought.  
  
Gabrielle, Xena, and Iolaus were riding across the countryside to Mt. Olympus. Ares`s throne room was at the top. ''Xena, how are we going to get up? And what about Argo?'' Gabrielle asked. She was riding behind Xena and holding onto her waist while Iolaus walked next to Argo.  
  
Xena didn`t turn to look at her friend. She just replied, ''We`re making a stop first.''  
  
Gabrielle was confused. ''A stop? What for?''  
  
Xena replied, ''Callisto.'' Her tone was cold.  
  
Iolaus was indignant. ''What do we need her for?'' He asked.  
  
Xena replied, ''We need her to get up Mt. Olympus.''  
  
Gabrielle cocked her head. ''Why don`t we just climb up it?'' She asked.  
  
Xena pulled the reins taut, stopping Argo`s fast canter. Then she turned to face her friend. ''Are you insane? Do you really want to climb up that when Callisto can zap us up there?''  
  
Gabrielle shrugged as Xena started Argo off again. ''It does seem better when you put it that way.'' She helped Iolaus onto the horse as Xena gained speed.  
  
They flew across the countryside at top speed. They reached the mine Callisto was trapped in, and Xena leaped off Argo and looked down the mine. ''Callisto!'' She yelled.  
  
The blond psycho looked up from below. ''Xena! Are you here to torment me?'' She asked, her blond hair flying every which way. She was an immortal, but she was trapped under some rocks.  
  
Xena`s black hair flying around her face, she replied, ''No, but I wish. I`m here to ask a favor of you. If you do it, I`ll get you the Hind`s Blood Dagger.''  
  
Callisto`s eyes widened. ''Really, Xena. This does sound intruiging, please, tell me more.'' She said, and added, ''Only, Xena, darling, please help me out of here. I`d really like to talk while I`m not trapped under a pile of rocks.''  
  
Xena replied, ''All right, then. Gabrielle, hand me the rope.'' Her best friend took the rope out from Xena`s saddlebag and handed it to her.  
  
Iolaus asked, ''Xena, would you like me to help?'' His blond curly hair was getting a little long, and it swirled around his shoulders.  
  
Xena shook her head and Iolaus shrugged. ''Xena, really, dear, I`m getting kind of bored.'' Callisto called up from down below.  
  
Xena tossed the rope down, and Callisto grabbed hold. Once Xena had pulled her free from the rocks, Callisto and the rope disappeared. They reappeared behind Gabrielle and Iolaus. ''Ah, it`s such a beautiful day for a blood bath.'' Callisto giggled.  
  
Gabrielle said, ''Hello, Callisto. Long time no see.''  
  
Callisto laughed. ''Hello, Gabrielle. I see you`ve found a new man. Oh, it`s Blondie. Hmm, I wonder how I can kill him.''  
  
Iolaus held her back. ''Gabby, don`t.''  
  
Gabrielle said, ''Don`t hold me back, Iolaus.'' Her tone was menacing.  
  
Callisto laughed. ''Oh, Gabrielle. You`re quite funny. Believe it or not, I don`t want to fight you.''  
  
Meanwhile, Hope, Gabrielle`s daughter, also Gabrielle`s lookalike, was walking towards Callisto`s former prison. She had somehow lived through her fall into the volcano and wanted to try again with Ares to have a child. It hadn`t worked before, because Xena had been able to stop her. She`d miscarried the baby when she`d fallen. She spotted Gabrielle, her mother, Xena, Iolaus, and her Auntie Callisto. She set her lips and walked up to the group.  
  
Seeing Hope, Xena immediately got defensive. ''Hope.'' She spat out.  
  
Hope smiled evilly, ignoring Xena. ''Hello, Mummy, Auntie Callisto. It`s been a long time.''  
  
Callisto looked shocked. Gabrielle gasped. ''Why aren`t you dead?'' She asked incredulously.  
  
Hope set her face in a scowl. ''Well, it wasn`t for your lack of trying, was it, Mummy?''  
  
Her Auntie Callisto smiled. ''Well, I for one am glad you`re alive. I`ve missed you.'' She held out her arms.  
  
Hope walked into her aunt`s arms. Too bad her aunt wasn`t blood- related. They thought alike. Her mother was too good-hearted. Gabrielle watched, hurt, as Iolaus put his arm around her shoulders.  
  
Meanwhile, Christina paced the cage while Ares and Hercules fought. Their sister Discord had joined the fray, so now it was extra loud. Discord ranted, ''Ares, I got into this thing so I could kill Hercules! You`re not being fair! Why can`t we hurt him just a little?''  
  
Ares threw his hands into the air. ''I`m trying to be fair to Xena, Discord. Xena would never join my armies if I hurt Little Brother.''  
  
Hercules shook his head. ''Man, I thought I outgrew that nickname years ago.''  
  
Ares looked at him. ''Well, you`ll always be my younger brother, hence the nickname. Whether you`re physically little isn`t the point.''  
  
Hercules looked at his brother in shock. ''I`ve never heard you be that insightful before, Ares. I kind of like it.''  
  
Ares smiled at him. ''Well, don`t count on too much of it, it comes and goes lately.'' He pushed locks of his shoulder-length black hair out of his eyes.  
  
Hercules smiled back at him. ''I`ll remember that. So, Ares, can you at least let us out of this cage? I promise we won`t try to escape. If you really aren`t going to hurt us I figure we can go along with your plan. It can`t hurt to try.''  
  
Ares pondered this. ''I guess so. I can have men gathered around you when she arrives so you`ll look like you`re in danger.''  
  
Hercules smiled as Ares dissvolved the cage. ''Thanks, Big Brother.'' He and Christina settled themselves comfortably in Ares`s leather chairs.  
  
Ares looked at his brother, confused. ''Why are you willing to go along with my plan?''  
  
Hercules`s blue eyes twinkled. ''Well, Big Brother, I know what it`s like being in love with Xena. She`s a wonderful woman, and she can be complicated. Besides, she probably won`t join.''  
  
Ares leaned against the wall. ''I know, but I have to try. You get it, don`t you? You know there`s more to her than people think.''  
  
Hercules nodded. ''Yeah, I do. I just wish that she was around when Iolaus, Jason and I were at Cheiron`s. Maybe that whole Medea thing wouldn`t have happened.''  
  
Ares scrunched his brow in thought. ''No, Little Brother, I think that that was bound to happen. This is Hera we`re talking about. She hated Prince Jason, she hated Iolaus, and she hated you.''  
  
Christina`s ears perked up. ''What was my father like back then?'' She asked, eager to hear about her father.  
  
Hercules smiled. ''Jason was kind of a serious guy, but he was also a really fun guy. He was always a little sad. Always. His dad`s death changed him forever. When his dad was mentioned, which was often because your grandfather had been the king, he always had to leave the room because he`d start crying. To this day he does. Jason had suffered a huge loss, and none of us could ever understand it. I think he understood that.''  
  
Christina sniffled. ''He and my mother were meeting each other on the sly while he was seeing his wife before they married. He and his future wife weren`t that serious yet, and he was kind of in love with my mom. But then she fell in love with my step-father and so they split up.''  
  
Hercules shook his head. ''That`s so sad. How`s your mom and step-dad now?''  
  
Christina`s eyes filled with tears. ''My step-dad died when I was ten, and my mother died two months ago, right after she told my dad about me. My dad wasn`t too happy that she`d waited till then.''  
  
Hercules kissed her cheek and Ares hugged her. Both were saddened by Christina`s story.  
  
''Aw, how sweet. Let`s break it up!'' Callisto cried out, splitting the still of the room.  
  
Xena, Iolaus, Gabrielle, and Callisto all burst into the room. ''Ares, let them go.'' Xena said in an angry voice.  
  
Ares wiped away the tears on his face. ''They`re free to go. I`ve changed my mind. Xena, Hercules loves you, and I`m not going to try to come between you any longer.''  
  
Hope said, ''Well, Ares, we`ll talk about that later. Right now, I want to have a child. You`re the one I want for the father.''  
  
Ares shrugged. ''I don`t care if you do. I don`t want you.'' He crossed his arms.  
  
Hope got angry and grabbed the Hind`s Blood Dagger from Xena and flung it at Ares. Christina flung herself in the path of it, and all was a blur as Hercules grabbed her as she fell.  
  
Ares knelt to the floor next to the two and gasped as Christina`s arm bled a shallow cut. The dagger lay beside her. Callisto stomped her foot in anger as she saw that the dagger was of no use now. Hope flung herself at Ares.  
  
Xena backflipped across the room and plunged her sword into Hope`s back, finally taking Hope`s life and saving Ares`s. ''You OK, Ares?'' She asked.  
  
Gabrielle stood frozen in place as Hercules fixed her young friend`s cut and Hope fell to the floor, dead. Iolaus slipped his arm around her waist and kissed her cheek. ''She`s finally dead, Iolaus. I never thought it would happen.''  
  
Iolaus stroked her hair. ''Well, it`s happened. How do you feel about it?''  
  
Gabrielle turned to look at him. ''I`m actually glad in a way, and sad in another. At least I don`t have to be worried about her anymore.''  
  
As she told Iolaus this, Ares hugged Christina for saving his life, and Hercules and Xena stared at each other.  
  
The following day, Gabrielle and Xena were ready to go. Hercules, Iolaus, and Christina stood with them. ''I`m ready to go.'' Xena told Gabrielle.  
  
Hercules glanced at Iolaus, then at Xena. ''I think that Iolaus and I will accompany you and Gabrielle and Christina. Who knows, maybe we`ll have some fun.''  
  
With no protest from Xena, they set off. 


End file.
